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The Automat

  • 2021
  • TV-PG
  • 1h 19m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
1.7K
YOUR RATING
The Automat (2021)
Centers on the vending machine popularized in the 20th century that offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery.
Play trailer2:11
1 Video
5 Photos
Food DocumentaryHistory DocumentaryDocumentaryHistory

Documentary centers on the vending machine popularized in the 20th century that offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery.Documentary centers on the vending machine popularized in the 20th century that offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery.Documentary centers on the vending machine popularized in the 20th century that offered fresh cooked meals in a commissary-style eatery.

  • Director
    • Lisa Hurwitz
  • Writer
    • Michael Levine
  • Stars
    • Mel Brooks
    • John W. Romas
    • Carl Reiner
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.8/10
    1.7K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Lisa Hurwitz
    • Writer
      • Michael Levine
    • Stars
      • Mel Brooks
      • John W. Romas
      • Carl Reiner
    • 23User reviews
    • 71Critic reviews
    • 75Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 10 wins & 9 nominations

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:11
    Official Trailer

    Photos5

    View Poster
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    View Poster
    View Poster

    Top cast26

    Edit
    Mel Brooks
    Mel Brooks
    • Self - Comedian
    John W. Romas
    • Self - VP of Engineering, H&H
    Carl Reiner
    Carl Reiner
    • Self - Comedian
    Krystyna Romas
    • Self
    Alec Shuldiner
    • Self - Automat Historian
    Wilson Goode
    Wilson Goode
    • Self - Philadelphia Mayor
    • (as W. Wilson Goode Sr.)
    Elliott Gould
    Elliott Gould
    • Self - Actor
    Howard Schultz
    Howard Schultz
    • Self - Executive Chairman, Starbucks
    Norris Horn
    • Self - Great Nephew of H&H Founder
    Steve Stollman
    • Self - Architectural Dealer
    Roy Rosenbaum
    • Self - Architect H&H
    Marianne Hardart
    Marianne Hardart
    • Self - Co-Author, 'The Automat'
    Lorraine Diehl
    • Self - Co-Author, 'The Automat'
    Lisa Keller
    • Self - New York City Historian
    Edwin K. Daly Jr.
    • Self - Son of President of H&H
    Bill Romas
    • Self - John's Son
    Ruth Bader Ginsburg
    Ruth Bader Ginsburg
    • Self - U.S. Supreme Court Justice
    Colin Powell
    Colin Powell
    • Self - U.S. Secretary of State
    • (as Gen. Colin L. Powell USA Ret)
    • Director
      • Lisa Hurwitz
    • Writer
      • Michael Levine
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Three of the film's most famous participants died either before or shortly after the documentary's festival premiere in September 2021. Comedy legend Carl Reiner and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg each passed away in 2020, and former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell passed away in October 2021. A message added to the dedications after the end credits reads, "The producers would like to remember Mr. Reiner, Justice Ginsburg and General Powell and thank their teams".
    • Goofs
      When Horn and Hardart doubled the price of coffee from a nickel to 10 cents, it is stated that the number of cups of coffee sold "immediately" dropped from 70 million a year to 45 million. A year-long tally does not convey immediacy; stating it to be an immediate drop of 35% would have been clearer.
    • Quotes

      Self - Comedian: Of course, when you say "Automat" or "Horn & Hardart", very few people know what you're talking about. But, one of the greatest inventions in sane centers of paradise, where these places that had little glass windows, framed in brass, with knobs. And if you put two nickels into the slot next to the windows, the windows would open up, and you could take out a piece of lemon meringue pie for ten cents. And you could eat it. And that was called the Automat.

    • Crazy credits
      Video of Mel Brooks singing his song dedication of the automat, the orchestra recording the music along with photo stills and video clips from the documentary accompany the ending credits.
    • Connections
      Features The Early Bird (1925)
    • Soundtracks
      At the Automat
      Music & lyrics by Mel Brooks
      Performed by Mel Brooks
      Arranged and produced by Hummie Mann
      Courtesy of Brooksmusic
      [Played at the end of the movie leading into and during the end credits]

    User reviews23

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10

    Sheer delight for anyone misses (or wonders about) Automats

    THE AUTOMAT takes viewers back to the very beginning, sharing how Joseph Horn and Frank Hardart teamed to create the eateries so many of us love, though they no longer exist. Hurwitz spoke to family members, former employees, historians, authors and a few celebs -- Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Eliot Gould, Colin Powell -- about their Automat memories, and the result is a joyful yet unavoidably elegiac film that is simply a must-see for anyone with an interest in these bygone gems.

    I expected this film to be good -- I was counting on it. And it lived up to and exceeded all hopes and expectations.
    • skyvue
    • Feb 19, 2022
    • Permalink

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    FAQ17

    • How long is The Automat?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 22, 2022 (Canada)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Автомат
    • Filming locations
      • Napanoch, New York, USA(the white Colony Farm water tower in the beginning)
    • Production company
      • Slice of Pie
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $257,371
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $13,917
      • Feb 20, 2022
    • Gross worldwide
      • $257,371
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 19 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White

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